something I read today

how true are these words? written almost 80 years ago. The garden is a magical place - I am sure this lady saw faeries in her garden and probably spoke to angels as well - she was definitely nearer to God's heart in her garden.

WHY PLANT A GARDEN?

" I plant a garden because I have the spirit of adventure. I like the smell of fresh turned earth. I love to plant, then weed and water, watch and wait. I delight in the miracle of green shoots quickly upspringing, unfolding; the transparent tender shades of tiny seedlings growing, all even , row on row; to see plants branch and blossom and put forth their fruit. Then my garden gives me beautiful and good gifts, choice offerings for my friends, best food for my children. Soul and body are fed.

I plant a garden because I like change and a garden is always changing. I like progress and progress is the gardens watchword. I like colour and my garden holds shades of colour found nowhere else - the unmatchable red of the radish pulled from the ground in the early morning with a bit of moist, black earth clinging to its slender white root, the silvery lavender of the kohlrabi stems, the golden yellow of the carrots and corn, the royal purple of the eggplant, the endless shades of glorious green in vine and bush and tree and in the multicolour flowers.

I plant a garden because I love its spirit of camaraderie. It calls me when I am away; it greets me when I return. Every hour and season, it has new beauties to reveal. My garden asks for little and gives much. Its dependence is like that of a loving child. Still, I go to my garden with problems and there, as I prune and weed. I find calm counsel. I go to it in sorrow and leave it comforted; I go to it weary and come away refreshed. When I am hurried, I go to my garden until the wheels of time run again in rhythm; when harried, I go to my garden until quiet confidence has returned; when impatient, I go to my garden and see how surely, if at times slowly, good things grow to their fulfillment. Gardening steadies my nerves and increases my physical strength. When I seek pleasure, I find it in my garden. Garden time is the happiest time. There I can exercise, or simply rest and dream by the sunlit pool or in the deep shade of tall trees.

For these and other reasons, which garden lovers know, I plant a garden"

BETTER HOMES & GARDENS - OCTOBER 1928